New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez smiles as he answers...

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 31: Aaron Hernandez #81 of the New England Patriots answers questions from the media during Media Day ahead of Super Bowl XLVI against the New York Giants at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 31, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Heiman/Getty Images)

Photo: Michael Heiman

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 31: Aaron Hernandez #81 of the New...

New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez stretches near the sideline during NFL football practice at the team's facility in Foxborough, Mass., Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. The Patriots are slated to host the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship, Sunday, Jan. 22.

Photo: AP

New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez stretches near the...

New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, rear, celebrates with Wes Welker after scoring on a 17-yard pass from Tom Brady, not shown, during the second half of an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Denver Broncos Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, in Foxborough, Mass. Brady tied the all-time postseason touchdown passing game record on the play.

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Look through a brother's eyes and you can see everything, right down to the core.

Listen to a brother's voice and you can hear the love. And respect. And sometimes, you even hear the disappointment.

Reach out and grasp a brother's hand and you feel the warmth of a person for whom you would do anything. Anytime. Anywhere.

D.J. and Aaron Hernandez share a bond that is more than just being brothers. The family ties that wove the two together will never be broken. If anything, over these past six years, those bonds have gotten even stronger.

They have dealt with death. Together.

They have dealt with adversity. Together.

They have embraced success. Together.

"Being the only two boys, we've developed a bond that allows us to have the kind of relationship that we have today," D.J. Hernandez said.

And what kind of relationship is that?

"Special," D.J. says.

On Sunday, when Aaron pulls his No. 81 New England Patriots' jersey on over his shoulder pads and takes the field at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI against the New York Giants, D.J. will be there (wearing Aaron's No. 81 jersey ... if he can find one, that is) cheering for his brother. They have always been there for each other. And watching your brother play on the NFL's biggest stage is nothing short of spectacular.

"Not too many guys can say that their brother is playing in the Super Bowl," D.J. said.

And not too many guys can say that they pounded on a player who played in the Super Bowl, but D.J. Hernandez can. Growing up, the two (D.J. is three years older) went at it tooth and nail. It didn't matter what sport, neither one ever backed down from the other.

"If there was a ball, any ball, we were probably playing with it," D.J. said. "Playing in the backyard ... we broke every window, either playing baseball or something. Whether it was roller hockey or football in the street, it was one competition after the other. We just went at it.

"I remember our house needed new siding and some other things, but the first thing my dad (Dennis) said was we were building a basketball court in the backyard complete with two glass backboards. That did not go over very well with my mom, but that's the type of family we were.

"We were out there every day, never inside, always competing, and if I went by him, I knew I had to take it hard to the hoop or else I'd end up in the grass. And it was the same way with him. We were very competitive."

So competitive that even when the two played video games, it usually ended with one brother throwing (and hitting) the other with the game controller.

Dennis Hernandez was just 49 years old when he passed away due to complications from hernia surgery. It was January 2006, D.J. was 19 and Aaron was just 16. D.J. was at UConn and playing football, so he had a support staff, thanks to his coaches and teammates.

Aaron only had his brother.

"He was put into a tough deal. I was a little older and out of the house, in college, and he was still in the house, so it was very tough having to come home every day and not see (dad) there," D.J. said. "I just kept telling him that if (dad) was still alive, he'd want you to continue to go about your business in the classroom and on the field in athletics as well."

As a senior at Bristol Central, Aaron established a national high school record for receiving yards per game (180.7) and also set Connecticut single-season records for receiving yards (1,807) and touchdowns (24). He was named the Gatorade State Player of the Year and verbally committed to attending UConn with D.J. But when Florida showed serious interest, Aaron changed his mind.

And while at Florida, Aaron suffered a misstep. It was reported in 2009 that he failed multiple drug tests. It sent the draft status of the Mackey Award winner (given to the nation's best collegiate tight end) tumbling downward.

Enter D.J.

"We're a very close-knit family and we'd talk just about every day. It was tough (on him) but I think he's learned from that time," D.J. said. "He's grown and I think he's a better person now and a stronger person now mentally because of that."

That closeness was never more evident than in the fall of 2003, when D.J. was the senior, and star, quarterback for Bristol Central High School.

On that team was "a big goof" of a receiver, a freshman. His brother Aaron.

In the first game of the season against Xavier, on the Rams' very first possession, Aaron ran an "under" route. The linebacker bit and when Aaron spun upfield, he was wide open. D.J. threw ... touchdown.

"That was one of the best memories my senior year, throwing the first touchdown pass to him," D.J. said. "Just seeing the emotions in the stands because everyone knew how much it meant to me and my family.

"Seeing the tears in my dad's eyes later, it was something special."

While Aaron went on to become an All-American at Florida, D.J. was heading to Klagenfurt, Austria, to play professionally for two years for the Carinthian Black Lions, where he was not only the quarterback, but the offensive coordinator. The next season, D.J. added the title of head coach to his resume.

"Going over there and calling my own plays was one of the most special experiences in my life," he said.

From there, D.J. jumped headlong into coaching, first spending two seasons at Southington High School, as a quarterbacks coach in 2009 and then as head coach in 2010, before moving into the college ranks, becoming the quarterbacks coach for Brown University.

Aaron, meanwhile, caught 45 passes -- setting a Patriots rookie record in 2010 -- and his 563 receiving yards were second all-time by a rookie tight end. And in 2011, he was even better, with 79 catches for 910 yards and seven touchdowns, numbers that have drawn positive reviews from the guy who helped Hernandez set them, Tom Brady.

"Both those players, Rob Gronkowski (who's nursing a high ankle sprain and is "day to day" for the Patriots) and Aaron Hernandez, have been a huge part of our offense. They're pretty much out there every down, both those players," Brady said in his post-AFC championship press conference when asked about his tight ends. "For two young players to play the role in the offense that they have is pretty exceptional, and it really speaks to what those players are all about and how much they love the game."

On Friday, D.J. and his wife, Jennifer, will leave for Indianapolis, excited to watch Aaron play in the Super Bowl. There's only one little hitch.